Bilt Hamber Surfex-HD | All Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser
Use it for: interiors & fabric, wheel arches, tyres & exterior trim, bug removal, and engine bays & heavy degreasing.
- Light duty 1:100 – 1:200 interior, fabric, general
- Medium about 1:20 wheel arches, tyres, trim, bugs
- Heavy 1:5 – neat engine bays, greasy grime
≈ $0.16 of concentrate per 500 ml spray bottle at 1:100 (light-duty strength), from the 1L bottle. Medium and heavy mixes use more.
1:100 = 1 part Surfex-HD to 100 parts water. Always spot test · wear gloves and eye protection.
One bottle, a 200-fold dilution range
Surfex-HD is the most useful product Bilt Hamber make, and the reason is the range. It is still working at 1 part in 200 for light interior cleaning, and it can be used neat for heavy industrial degreasing. Very few chemicals hold their performance across two orders of magnitude of dilution.
What's in it
Bilt Hamber's SDS declares alcohols C9-11 ethoxylated (3–10%) as the surfactant, disodium metasilicate (1–3%) as the alkali builder, and tetrasodium etidronate — HEDP (1–3%) as the chelant. That last one is worth pausing on: HEDP is a phosphonate sequestrant. It locks up the calcium and magnesium ions in hard water so they can't precipitate out and rob your surfactant. It's why Surfex-HD keeps working in hard water where cheaper APCs go limp.
The silicate is doing the heavy lifting on pH. The SDS records pH 13.25 — this is the most alkaline product in the Bilt Hamber range.
On "non-toxic"
Bilt Hamber describe Surfex-HD as "zero VOC, biodegradable, non-toxic and pleasant to use." We'll pass on their claim about VOCs and biodegradability, but we're going to be straight with you about the last one: the product is CLP-classified Eye Dam. 1 (H318) and Skin Irrit. 2 (H315). "Non-toxic" there is colloquial, not toxicological. At pH 13.25 it will irritate skin and it will damage eyes. Gloves and goggles.
Dilution
Light duty (interior, fabric, general): 1:100 to 1:200.
Medium (wheel arches, tyres, exterior trim, bug removal): around 1:20.
Heavy (engine bays, greasy industrial): 1:5 to neat.
Saturate the surface, let it dwell, agitate, rinse thoroughly. Always spot test. Bilt Hamber's own split: Surfex-HD for greasier films, Auto-Foam for drier ones.
Sizing
The 5L is the obvious buy if you're using it properly — at 1:100 it makes 500 litres of working solution. Add a Bilt Hamber dosing pump to the 5L and stop pouring chemical down the side of the drum.
Safety Data Sheet (Australia)
Download the Bilt Hamber Surfex-HD SDS (PDF)
Bilt Hamber Surfex-HD — frequently asked questions
What is the Surfex-HD dilution ratio?
1:100 to 1:200 for light duty (interior, fabric, general cleaning); around 1:20 for wheel arches, tyres, exterior trim and bug removal; 1:5 to neat for engine bays and heavy degreasing. Always spot test first.
Can I use Surfex-HD on car interiors and fabric?
Yes, at 1:100 to 1:200. Saturate, dwell, agitate, then rinse or extract thoroughly. It is the light-duty end of a 200-fold dilution range.
What is the pH of Surfex-HD?
13.25 per Bilt Hamber’s SDS, from a disodium metasilicate builder. It is the most alkaline product in the Bilt Hamber range, which is why it needs dilution and gloves and goggles.
Is Surfex-HD really non-toxic?
Bilt Hamber use the word colloquially. The product is CLP-classified Eye Dam. 1 (H318) and Skin Irrit. 2 (H315): it will irritate skin and damage eyes at working strength. Handle it as a strong alkaline cleaner.
Why does Surfex-HD keep working in hard water?
Because of the HEDP (tetrasodium etidronate) chelant in the formula, which locks up calcium and magnesium so they cannot precipitate and rob the surfactant.
Where can I buy Bilt Hamber Surfex-HD in Australia?
Here. Alpha Details in Heidelberg West, Melbourne is an authorised Bilt Hamber stockist carrying the full range in 1L and 5L, with Australia-wide shipping and free delivery over A$95. See the Bilt Hamber collection.